Kings take crazy Game 2 in 2OT thanks to Brown

Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the game-winning goal against the New York Rangers in the second overtime period during game two of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center on Jun 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, CA, USA. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

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Robert Tychkowski, Edmonton Sun

Jun 19, 2014

, Last Updated: 11:27 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - Just about everybody watching New York put it to the LA Kings for 40 minutes on Saturday, scoring clutch goal after clutch goal to beat down three separate comeback attempts, fully expected this series to be 1-1 after Game 2.

Instead, the impossible-to-kill LA Kings rose from the dead one more time to beat the split out of the Eastern Conference Champions.

It marked the third straight game they’d fallen behind by two goals and the third straight time they’ve come back to win. They eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference final and have rallied back twice on the frustrated Rangers to take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup final.

The Kings trailed 2-0 in the first, 3-1 in the second and 4-2 in the third before doing what the LA Kings always do - willing themselves to victory.

They scored two goals in the third, got one from Dustin Brown 10:26 into double overtime to post a 5-4 victory and move two games away from their second title in three years.

The Rangers aren’t making it easy on them, though. They are making it very clear that the lopsided rout many predicted isn’t going to happen. With their speed, their clutch scoring and with Henrik Lundqvist in net, the Rangers seem more than capable of standing up to the mighty LA machine.

They just haven’t found a way to beat them yet.

With the Kings fully rested and needing to sweep their home games to put a death grip on the series, many expected Los Angeles to pick up where they left off in the third period of Game 1, when they outshot the Rangers 20-3 and seemed in total control of everything.

But a continuation of the LA onslaught never materialized. The Rangers, as they did in the first 40 minutes of Game 1, played stride for stride with Los Angeles and once again jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

They scored first on Ryan McDonagh’s goal at 10:48 and went up 2-0 on when Mats Zuccarello scored at 18:46.

It marked the third straight game that the Kings had fallen behind 2-0.

Los Angeles, having fought back two goals down to win Game 7 against the Hawks and Game 1 against the Rangers, went to work erasing this lead, too.

Jarret Stoll got them started after a Brad Richards turnover at 1:46 of the second period.

But the Rangers were having nothing to do with another comeback. This time they scored next, padding the lead to 3-1 on power play goal (too many men) from Martin St. Louis at 11:24.

And when the Kings closed it to 3-2 at 14:39 on Willie Mitchell’s point shot, the Rangers waited all of 11-seconds before restoring their two-goal cushion. Mitchell collided with Quick behind the LA net and Zuccarello scooped up the loose puck and gave it to Derick Brassard to make it 4-2 Rangers after 40.

But these are the Kings, and once again launched another assault, cutting it to 4-3 just 1:38 into the third when Dwight King, who was practically sitting on Lundqvist, got credit for deflecting a Matt Greene point shot.

At 7:36, it was tied on Marian Gaborik’s goal.

And for the second game in a row, they went to overtime.

The first OT period was a thrill ride, with Chris Kreider hitting the post and missing on a breakaway for the Rangers and Dwight King firing wide on a sitter in the slot for the Kings. The Rangers had to kill one minor, the Kings two, both on Ranger dives.

IT’S NEVER OVER

The Rangers are discovering that hardest thing about playing a team that never quits on the puck is their ability to manufacture scoring chances out of seemingly dead plays.

“You feel like you’ve got a simple play, a simple battle in the corner with numbers and they find a way to get a puck toward the net, get the right body position. You have to maintain you discipline and focus all the way through until your shift is done.”â¨